Undergraduate Program

A Linguistics major can focus purely on linguistics, or combine linguistics with another field or language. There are several interdisciplinary majors in which the study of linguistics forms a significant part of the curriculum. It is also possible to major in linguistics alone or to minor in linguistics. If you would like to declare a major or minor in linguistics, please see instructions at the top of the major requirements page. If you have questions about a linguistics major or general questions about the undergraduate program, please e-mail the Undergraduate Program Director. If you have questions about minoring in linguistics, please contact our  Minors Advisor.

Our undergraduate major has 6 broad learning objectives. These objectives aim to develop knowledge and skills that are applicable not only in linguistics, but in a wide range of intellectual contexts and professions.

Learning Objective 1:  Ability to reason analytically about language

Learning Objective 2: Basic quantitative and computational competence in language research

Learning Objective 3: An understanding of linguistic theories and their relationship to language diversity

Learning Objective 4: An understanding of linguistic discrimination

Learning Objective 5: Ability to communicate about language

Learning Objective 6: Ability to work as an effective member of a team

The CHFA career center is the place to get general career advice, and they are also able to help you find a career that draws on the talents and knowledge that you develop in linguistics. They have resources on their web page and also have drop-in hours and one-hour appointments.

Some other useful links include:

• All Things Linguistics/SuperLinguo interviews with people in different careers with linguistics training (scroll down to the bottom to get right to the interviews)
• Linguistics Career Launch (a Special Interest Group of the Linguistic Society of America)
• Hadas Kotek's write-ups about "alt-ac" jobs, including deciphering job titles relevant for linguists

Career opportunities in linguistics

In the past, the study of linguistics was focused on preparation for a PhD and a career as a college professor. But recent developments have brought radical changes to the employment environment for linguists. New companies and new products appear every day that call upon the skills of linguists. People trained in linguistics are now involved in enterprises like these:

• documenting endangered languages such as with the Rosetta Project;
• working in the field of law. (Larry Solan, who earned a PhD from UMass in linguistics, is willing to advise Linguistics majors interested in law);
• creating machines capable of reading aloud to the blind;
• development of computer programs for "speech recognition"—turning spoken language into typed text, taking plane reservations over the phone, and so on;
• developing software to translate webpages or other documents from one language to another;
• giving new products names that have the right positive associations. (Linguists are responsible for the name of the Cadillac Catera for instance);
• creating new tests of language and reading skills;
• teaching English in Japan; and,
• joining the Peace Corps.

With its broad interdisciplinary connections and international outlook, the field of linguistics is well-situated to prepare students for the evolving global marketplace. Just take a look at an online list of job opportunities for linguists with various kinds of expertise and different levels of training.

More broadly, the study of linguistics cultivates certain qualities of thought—careful observation, analytic reasoning, logic, hypothesis development, and testing—that can be applied in many other fields, such as law, business, and teaching.

• Follow the Steps to Study Abroad from the Office of Global Affairs.
• Talk with the Linguistics undergraduate program advisors about which abroad courses will satisfy major requirements.
• Consider programs that match your academic goals.
• Use Peer Advisors and Office of Global Affairs staff — they can guide you through application, funding, and credit-transfer processes. Drop by the Education Abroad Advising Office or schedule an appointment and we’ll answer your questions and help you get ready to go abroad.

Universities participating in the Domestic Exchange Program

Here is a link to programs that participate in UMass Abroad and that offer linguistics courses. 

• LSA Summer Institute
• EGG
• ESSLLI / NASSLLI
• LOT Summer School
• Australian Linguistics Institute
• Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (University of Alberta)
• CoLang (community-based approaches to language revitalization)
• Leiden Summer School in Languages and Linguistics (Universiteit Leiden), has a lot of historical linguistics
• Frederick Jelinek Memorial Summer Workshop on Speech and Language Technology (Johns Hopkins)
• Wiki page